Ангел
by YankeeSamson
Summary: Yuugi's struggle with being a special needs teen does not go unnoticed. Somewhere, something or someone is watching over him. And when Yuugi meets him, will that person have the strength to let go? Even for a little while? Non-Yaoi. AU.


**I dreampt part of this story and thought it would be a good one shot. **

**I also want you guys to use your imaginations, becuase I didnt include a descroption of Yami. So when it comes that part just use your heads. **

**Remember that Yuugi is special needs, handicapped, so he's unable to act his age. **

**Also I think I could have done a better job in the detail catagory for the end, but I couldnt not come up with anything else for a couple of weeks. So I just gave in and stuck to the one I wrote.**

**Please tell me if there are any mistakes. Without Futher Ado, I present _Ангел_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, but I do own the plot.**

* * *

The storm had come out of nowhere. What started out as a bright sunny day ended up in a bone chilling rain that beat against the sidewalk with a steady rhythm. The sky lit up every few minutes, emitting a blinding flash; creating blind spots in one's vision. Afterwards, the clouds roared a thunderous boom which traveled for miles. Everyone who was smart enough stayed indoors or ran like madmen for cover. Unfortunately for one little boy, he did nothing. He stood on the sidewalk shivering uncontrollably.

Little Yuugi stood in the open. In reality he was 16. But his small frame told another story. He had on a white polo shirt that clung to his body from the rain. His arms were wrapped around himself in attempt to get rid of the chill that was setting itself into his joints. The blue pants he had on were stained navy and stuck to his legs. His skin was starting to get irritated from the wet fabric. His hair drooped from the weight of the water it was holding. Normally it stood up in gravity defying spikes but today it hung limp. His golden bangs were plastered against his cherubic face. The amethyst eyes scanned the line of cars at the stop sign, hoping that one of them would magically turn into his parent's vehicle.

His parents did not heed the weather man's prediction of rain and had ushered their son out of the house without a jacket. Now Yuugi was paying for it. Over at the school, his teacher kept glancing nervously in his direction. She had tried to convince the small teen in staying under the roof but Yuugi refused and kept mumbling about it being an inconvenience. You see, Yuugi was not a normal kid; he was special needs.

Doctors had tried to diagnose him but every test they had done had come back either as incomplete or negative. His disease was one of a kind and a strange on at that. If he jarred his head, his brain cells would die and he would become brain damage. This ranged from the snap of the neck, tripping, or a blow.

Yuugi was already brain dead to a certain extent. He could not speak in full sentences. Professionals didn't know if it was from choice or the speech center in his brain was dead. The only thing they did know was Yuugi would not live long.

It should have bothered his parents but it didn't, because Yuugi was also adopted. Sometimes Yuugi knew he was a burden. He could see it in their eyes; the deep regret that they had chosen him over other children. But he also knew they would stick with him until the end.

The wind picked up and it felt like daggers were being embedded into his lithe frame. He wished they would hurry. The mobile in his pocket went off. Carefully he reached down and dug it out. He flipped it open and slowly brought it to his ear.

"Hello." The words Yuugi could say were very basic and were limited by his vocabulary. Some sounds were beyond his learning.

"Hey Yuugi, sorry for the wait, but cross the street. I don't want to turn around."

"M…kay." Yuugi quickly went to the cross section. He hated crossing the road. Cars never exactly stopped. Silently, he closed his eyes and started walking. Soon enough he made it to the other side, but not before stepping into a puddle. If his shoes were wet before, they were soaked now. Yuugi could feel the water creep into his socks and chill his feet. He hoped that his parents would be here soon.

After a couple more minutes, a familiar tan Toyota appeared in the line. The soaking wet boy slowly made his way to the car. His dad, Mr. Motou, was behind the wheel and he was motioning to Yuugi to walk faster.

Once inside the car, Yuugi relaxed but not before huge spasms over took his body.

"Yuugi!" His mother exclaimed. She quickly beckoned her daughter, Grace, to switch spots with her. Grace complied. "Honey turn the heater on full blast."

Mrs. Motou proceeded to take his shoes, socks, pants, and shirt off. Then she quickly wrapped a blanket over the shivering teen and tucked him away in her lap. Since Yuugi was small the task was not daunting. Quietly she sung him a nursery rhyme in order to calm the boy down. In no time, with the heater on, the blanket wrapped around his body, and his mother's body heat, Yuugi fell into an uneasy slumber.

* * *

When Yuugi awoke, he found himself in a strange bed. The covers were tucked all around him to make sure no heat escaped. The heater hummed loudly in its high setting. Pulling the covers back, Yuugi sat up. Studying the surroundings around him he knew he was in a motel room. His clothes were sitting on a chair beside the bed.

After getting dressed, Yuugi went in search for his family. They were sitting outside on the veranda facing the mountains.

"Hey" voiced the small teen.

"Yuugi! What are you doing out of bed! You nearly met your death! Go back." Mrs. Motou shot forward and tried to usher the teen out.

"Mom! I'm fine."

"He's right mom. Let him stay out here. A little bit of fresh air won't hurt." Grace said without glancing from her magazine.

"Yuugi, honey, please go back inside."

"Carol, let the poor child be. As Grace put it, a little bit of fresh air won't hurt." Mr. Motou too replied without looking from his newspaper.

"Alright fine. But not for long." Mrs. Motou disappeared into the room. Yuugi made his way to the chair beside Grace and plopped down. Absent mindedly Grace reached over and ruffled the boy's tri-colored locks just as Mrs. Motou walked back in.

"Grace, you know better than that!"

"Mom its okay—" Yuugi began.

"No it's not. Your head is sensitive. Any movement to it and you could be gone. Here put this on." Yuugi gave her a look when she handed him a sweater. "Don't give me that look young man."

The teen quickly pulled the hoodie over his head and began to stare at the mountains. For some reason those upturned peaks compelled him. It was as if an unknown force was calling out to him.

"Dad?"

"Yes Yuugi." Again Mr. Motou didn't look up from his newspaper.

"You think we could go on a hike?"

"Absolutely not!" Mrs. Motou interjected before her husband could open his mouth.

"But mom—"

"Yuugi no—"

"Now Carol, what harm can a little hike cause?"

Mrs. Motou glared daggers at her husband before answering, "Harm? Are you joking? Do you want Yuugi to die? If he trips and falls, the damage will be irreversible. I put my foot down on this."

"I'm not joking. It'll do good if he gets out. We can't keep him in a box, afraid that any movement will be his last. What's life without the risk?" The tone in Mr. Motou's voice had risen. He also put down the newspaper and stared at his wife.

"Carter I say no."

"Well I say yes. He's my son too you know."

Tears were leaking out of Yuugi's eyes. He hated it when his parents fought over him. Grace put her arm over the boy's shoulders and led him inside. Yuugi glanced back to the mountains. They were calling out to him but this time it was as if they were trying to calm him down.

Inside Grace turned on a movie for her brother.

"You hungry?" his sister asked.

The rumble in Yuugi's stomach answered her question, "Yes."

"I'll make you something."

"Okay" Yuugi hugged his knees and absent mindedly stared at the television screen. Outside, his parents were engaged in a full blown out argument. The handicapped teen turned up the volume in order to drown out the voices. Slowly the teen drifted off into sleep. Before he let the unconsciousness he had one last thought. 'All I wanted was to go out on a hike.'

* * *

This time when Yuugi awoke, he was sweating buckets. He kicked the blankets off him. But the movement snapped his neck.

"Oww" The teen put his hand up to his head as he felt his brain cells die off. 'Mom's not going to be too happy.'

"How are you feeling Yuugi?" Mr. Motou asked as he took his son's head in his hands to inspect it.

"Fine, just moved too fast."

"I won't tell your mother if you don't" A smile erupted from the boy's face.

"Thanks dad"

"Oh and I convinced her to let you go on a hike." Mr. Motou grinned at his son's reaction. Yuugi's eye's widened to the size of dinner plates. His smile reached his eyes and took it every ounce of strength for him to keep still. Mr. Motou had to reach over and grab Yuugi by the shoulders as an extra precaution.

"When?" Asked an over-eagerly Yuugi.

"If you're up to it we can go now." Yuugi bobbed his head up and down but then stopped when pain coursed through it. "Let me go round up the family."

Yuugi was grateful for his dad. Most of the time, his dad ignored the fact that he was a special needs and treated him normally. It was always a nice change from his mom who acted like a mother hen protecting her egg.

An hour later the family of four found themselves at a trail head. The sky was a mixture between crystalline blue and dark grey. It had stopped raining hours ago but the clouds still remained. Every few minutes the sun would appear and cast its rays upon the soaked ground. The earthy smell mixed in with nature greeted Yuugi's nose as he walked forward.

"Yuugi make sure you watch where you're going." Exaggerated Mrs. Motou.

"I will mom don't worry."

"Let the kid be Carol." Mr. Motou said. "Grace put your phone away."

"But dad—"

"No but's young lady. Rarely do we ever do something together as a family." Grace grumbled as she put her phone away and followed her father.

Yuugi was in a different world. All around him, he heard various animals going along with their business. The gentle breeze lifted his blonde bangs into the air earning a soft sigh from the young one. Trees of various kinds stood tall and their branches swayed in the wind as if beckoning him to follow the direction they pointed. The path went uphill and then downhill; involving many different twists and turns.

Behind Yuugi, Mrs. Motou was having many heart attacks as she and the rest of her family kept tripping over roots, rocks, and ruts made by the rain. Her eyes were trained on the petite form of her son as he kept on walking and disappearing from sight. To her relief he wasn't stumbling or having any trouble making his way through the path. It was as if someone was moving all the obstacles away from him. Making sure the young one stayed up right on his feet.

"Yuugi, slow down." Yelled Mrs. Motou. But her shouts were useless. The boy just kept on walking, oblivious to the pleas behind him.

The forest was beckoning to him. It had him under its spell. He could clearly think and free his mind from his thoughts. He had never been able to let his mind wander in fear of losing his life. But right now, living in the moment, Yuugi couldn't help but let his mind go. Someone was guiding him, taking care of him.

It was magic. How else could Yuugi feel so carefree? Every thought had escaped the boys head until one remained. 'Follow the path'

When Yuugi finally did stop, he found himself alone.

"Mom? Dad? Grace?" he whispered the names. The hair on the nape of his neck stood up as if someone was watching him. Fear engulfed the boy when his eyes raked his surroundings and found nothing familiar. Yuugi tried to take in deep breaths. His head snapped in every which direction to try to get a better feel of where he was at. He ignored the dulling pain in his head. Right now he didn't care if he was killing his brain, he was scared stiff. Tears escaped his eyes.

Noticing a body of water, the boy made his way to it and sat down by its edge. Gingerly he traced the water's edge with his fingertips. Again he was tired. Spots covered his vision before he blacked out.

* * *

The sound of a heartbeat met Yuugi's ears as he stirred from his sleep. Also there were two arms encircling him. Someone was holding him. And that person felt safe. Instead of opening his eyes, the teen snuggled closer into the being; trying to catch all the warmth the person was emitting before falling asleep once more.

* * *

Yuugi yawned and opened his eyes. A small 'eep' escaped his mouth as he found himself staring into a pair of crimson eyes. Quickly he looked away but found himself entangled with this person. Yuugi tried to move away but the person just tightened his grip and brought Yuugi closer to him.

"Don't struggle I won't hurt you." Once more Yuugi looked up to meet his eyes. His mother had taught him to never talk to strangers let alone let them touch him. Looking into the strangers eyes, Yuugi saw that this person would never harm him. Sighing, he laid his head against the man's chest.

"Don't you think you had enough sleep?" he asked amused.

"Huh?"

"You have been sleeping for nearly two days."

"What!" Quickly the young teen snapped his head causing tremendous pain to course through his head.

"Yuugi!" The man reached and steadied the teen's head. Tears flowed freely from the amethyst eyes as the boy felt part of his brain shutting down. The man started to massage the teens scalp. Slipping his fingers through his tri-colored mess of hair, relief pulsed though each spot the stranger made contact with.

"Better?" he asked.

Slightly amazed at what the man had done, Yuugi nodded. Indeed all the pain he was experiencing vanished. His head even cleared, letting him think clearly and rationally. Yuugi pointed towards the man and uttered one word, "Name?"

A throaty chuckle escaped the stranger's lips before he answered. "Yami."

Yuugi threw his gaze down as his brow furrowed in concentration in pronouncing the man's name.

"Yami." The boy said. A small smile graced his features in his accomplishments in saying the name.

"That's my boy." Replied Yami as he lightly kissed the boy's forehead. Yuugi's cheeks turned red at the praise. Yuugi looked down again and racked his brain for words that would form a sentence. Yami watched his young one battle the illness that was afflicting him. Reaching his hand out, Yami touched the boy's temple with his thumb, and then he pulled his hand away. Instantly the boy looked up.

"Where are we?"

"Where in the forest. The same place you collapsed."

Yuugi looked around but all he could see was black. It seemed he was engulfed in something. Like he was underneath his covers back at home. Seeing Yuugi confused, Yami lifted the darkness.

The first thing the teen noticed was that it was cold. The warm air had escaped him and now he was shivering. Instinctively he snuggled closer to Yami and enjoyed the heat that radiated off the man. Yuugi looked up to see what was covering them and was shocked to see two very large black wings in the air. His eyes traveled the length of them to see they were attached to Yami.

The wings were magnificent; they had to be at least ten feet long. The glossy feathers were arranged in a neat order and even though there was no sun, they shined a brilliant sheen. The feathers started out short at the base, near Yami's back and gradually grew longer and wider as they filled the span of the appendages. Yuugi watched as they settled themselves flat unto the forest floor. He wondered if they were as soft as they looked.

"You can touch." Replied Yami, after seeing the curiosity in his young one's eyes. Ignoring the frigid air, Yuugi let go of Yami and crawled over to one of the wings. He brought one of his hands to his lips as if trying to decide if he could touch it. It took a couple of moments before Yuugi reached out and stroked the wing.

The texture on the outside was rough and hard. The tips of the feathers had a silver lining at the edge and it reminded Yuugi of steel. On the inside of the wings there were short hairs. The boy ran his fingers through and was surprised to feel how soft the inside was. The look of it reminded him of a horse's hide but the feel of it was much softer. It made him want to curl up into the wing and fall asleep. Yuugi retracted his hand and another question plagued his mind. Pointing to the wings, Yuugi voiced his question.

"Why rough?" the boy frowned. He really hated his limited vocabulary. Hopefully Yami had understood him.

"I use them a lot." Yami asked for Yuugi's hand. Yuugi gave it to him. Yami gently caressed his palm "They're like skin. The more you use them, the rougher they become. See, your hand is soft while my hand is calloused. But underneath there's new skin. "

The boy took the man's hand and began to inspect it. Then he inspected his own hand. After he was done, he looked up and flashed Yami a smile. Which Yami gladly returned.

"Also," he brought the other wing up to his inspection, "they protect me and I can use them as a weapon when needed. They're also great to hide from the elements. The weather can't penetrate them. The inside is also a great insulator as you experienced. It rained buckets while you were resting and the temperature dropped greatly. But you stayed dry and warm."

The boy examined the wings once more. Suddenly Yuugi had the urge to relieve himself.

"I'll be back." And Yuugi got up and hurried off. Knowing where and why he went Yami didn't move a muscle.

Finding a tree that was far enough from the man, Yuugi did his business. Before he hurried back, the boy looked around. Yami had said he slept for two days. His parents were probably worried sick. His stomach rumbled from being empty. He hoped Yami had some food. Yuugi remembered the doctor saying that hunger could also eat away his brain cells.

Returning back to the clearing, Yuugi saw that the man hadn't moved an inch. The boy plopped down beside the man and stared at the ground. He didn't realize he was shivering until his body jerked violently from the cold.

"I won't bite." And Yami opened his arms. Yuugi hesitated but then he jerked again and that was enough to send him into the outstretched arms. The pair of arms ensnared him while the wings quickly folded over the young boy and kept the heat from escaping. The only thing you could see was two heads. After a few minutes Yuugi quit shaking and he was able to take a deep breathe without difficulty.

The two sat there comfortably; both in their own minds. From under the clouds the sun streaked into view and a beam of sunlight shone on the pair. Yami closed his eyes and lifted his face towards the light. A small smile danced on his face. Yuugi looked up and stared intently at the man who was basking in the sunlight.

A rumble came sounded itself and broke the silence. Yuugi blushed at realizing it was his own stomach.

"Warm?" Yami asked. Yuugi nodded. The wings rose in the air. "Okay time to move." Yuugi tried to push the man's arm off of him but Yami relented. He hooked his arm around Yuugi's back and legs before pumping his wings to get them airborne. Then he gently touched back to the ground and set Yuugi on his legs. Yami fanned out his wings before retracting them to his back. On his back, the wings looked small. If you never laid eyes on them then you couldn't tell they were in fact 10 feet long instead of the 3-5feet they looked.

Yami then produced a cup out of nowhere and went toward the body of water. Yuugi stood where he was and examined Yami. The man wore black leather pants that hugged his legs. Two belts hung from his waist. A dagger hung on one belt while a pouch was on another. On his torso was sleeveless black top and it too hugged his figure. On his neck was leather buckle collar. Yuugi's eyes couldn't detect it but on the back of it, in red writing was the word _Ангел__. _

Yuugi watched as Yami reached into his pouch and took a pinch of something and added it to the cup. He turned around and stalked back to Yuugi.

"Drink" Yami handed the cup back to Yuugi. Yuugi hesitantly took the cup and looked at its contents. It was water and nothing else. Bringing it up to his lips, he took a sip. The texture was smooth but heavy at the same time. The flavor was sweet. Not sweet as in sugar but sweet. In no time Yuugi downed the contents in a couple of gulps. Yami chuckled.

"Would I give you something that would hurt you? It's actually the complete opposite. It'll help with your brain loss, and for a while it'll actually restore it." Yuugi's eyes went wide at his statement and he looked back at the cup. Indeed he felt his head clear up more.

"Why you help me?" Yuugi asked.

"You're my charge, my being. I've been waiting for you for an unknown amount of time." Yami replied and took the cup from Yuugi's hand. "Now we must get you back. Your parents must be worried sick about you."

Yuugi just nodded and looked around the small clearing once more. The light had receded and left the place gloomy. Yami offered his hand and Yuugi took it. The two started on the path towards civilization.

The trees were quiet and their branches drooped with their leaves flaking off one by one. They were weeping for the two retreating forms. This time Yuugi was not in a trance and noticed how the rocks moved out of the way, how the roots disappeared into the ground, and how the ruts filled in. The path was smooth and did not allow the small teen to trip. Yuugi looked behind him and was amazed that everything returned to normal as soon they passed. He looked up at Yami and smiled. Whatever nature was doing, it was at Yami's demand.

Then the weather went south. The wind picked up and with it, fallen leaves and debris blew in the wind. Yuugi shivered from the cold wind blowing at his back. Also the heavens decided that it was time to break the dam and tiny droplets of water began falling.

The water made Yuugi shiver worse and he tore his hand from Yami's and wrapped it around his petite body in attempt to stay warm. Yami looked over in confusion and his expression furrowed. He then looked up at the sky and felt the pelts of water that seemed to expand in size and pressure.

Without thinking he unfurled his wings and one went over Yuugi's head while the other one went over his own. He also expanded it to cover his small one's back to protect him from the gusts of winds that wanted to tear at him. Yuugi looked up at the man and smiled at him, which Yami returned. Yuugi's hand shyly found the man's hand and his fingers clasped around his palm.

The weather worsened with thunder and lightning adding to the mix. Normally Yuugi would jump at the loud peals of thunder but in Yami's presence an eerie calm had overtaken him. The trees instead of mourning had become violent and whipped into their faces. The path had forgotten about the precious cargo that it was leading and Yuugi found himself tripping. Twice Yami had saved him from doing a face plant.

The sky had darkened considerably and Yuugi had a hard time seeing where he was going. He was no longer holding Yami's hand but instead both of his arms were wrapped around the man's arm. Yami shielded his own face with his hand. His eyes became narrow slits and his jaw clenched.

"Yami!" The calm had dissolved in Yuugi and when the lighting lit up the sky, he closed his eyes and his arms shot around Yami's waist. His form began to shake from fear and tears were escaping from his eyes.

"Sshh, it's okay." Yami soothed while wrapping his free arm around the shaking form. When Yami tried to take a step forward he was hindered by the frozen body at his side. Seeing that it would be useless in trying to usher Yuugi forward, Yami wrapped his wings around the two and hugged Yuugi close to this body.

"Yuugi!"

Yami's attention snapped towards the source. Yuugi didn't hear; he was still frozen in fear.

"Yuugi! YOU OUT THERE!"

The voiced were coming closer and Yami gritted his teeth. Unwrapping his wings and grabbing ahold of the boy, Yami went airborne. A tiny shriek escaped Yuugi's lips and he clung tighter onto his savior. Flying over the forest, Yami made out a search and rescue squad with a couple of German Shepherds. There flashlights were useless against the brutality of the storm and didn't help them much. Circling over the squad Yami perched on a tree branch. He frowned at what he had to do. He didn't think it would come so soon.

"Yuugi?" Yami unraveled the boy's arms around his waist and leaned him against the tree trunk. Yuugi opened his eyes and looked at Yami with fear. Yami gently ran his fingers across his face and wiped away the tears that were still running freely. "You're going to have to go with those people. They'll take you back to your parents."

Yuugi's tears increased and he quickly latched on to Yami, "No, want to stay."

"I know, I know," Yami wrapped his arms once more around his little one. "But I'll always will be with you." He pushed Yuugi so he could look him in the eye, "I'll always be by your side, even if you can't see me."

Yuugi nodded and wiped his hands. "No"

But both of them knew he didn't mean it. Yuugi curled up against the man's chest and closed his eyes. The moment was precious as Yami caressed his hair and sung a quite lullaby.

A lone tear escaped from his eye and Yami hugged his charge tighter. His whole being protested at what he had to do. Never before was he so conflicted. True he knew his mission, but he didn't expect to care about the boy so much. The moment he felt his presence come into this world, Yami was bound.

Quietly he picked Yuugi up again and jumped off the branch. He flew into the air and landed about three hundred feet away from the rescue team.

Yami pressed Yuugi against him and hugged him fiercely. The hug itself matched the ferocity of the storm. Yuugi returned the hug.

"Yuugi!"

The voices were coming closer. Yami pushed himself from Yuugi and stared the teen in the eye. Yuugi nodded at the silent agreement that passed through them. The man took the boy's face in his hands and kissed him on the forehead.

"Yuugi!"

"I've waited for you for a long time. Remember, I'll always be with you. Little one." Before Yuugi could respond, Yami took to the skies. A few seconds later he was spotted by an officer.

"Yuugi!" The officer charged forwards and quickly assessed the boy's condition. He was a little confused on the boy's appearance: he wasn't wet. "Over here guys! I found him!"

Immediately about seven people and two dogs emerged from the darkness and huddled around the small boy. Yuugi looked at all of them and shivered at the lack of heat. One man quickly draped something over his shoulders and another picked him up. Yuugi squirmed and began to cry.

"It's alright Yuugi; you'll be home soon enough."

Yuugi looked to the sky in attempt to catch a glimpse of a flying figure but was unsuccessful. But he knew Yami was with him, even though he couldn't see him.

Yami stood in a tree and watched the group retreat with his young one. A few tears rolled down his cheeks and mixed in with the rain. His wings hung limp from his back and he allowed himself to get drenched.

Letting out an inhumane screech, Yami forced the wind and the rain to run its course faster. The lighting attacked the sky and didn't let the darkness set in again for a few moments. The thunder roared at a deafening decibel. Feeling the storm beat on his back Yami grew quite.

Complying with the man's request, the weather lightened up. The wind slowed down and the rain became a drizzle. The trees no longer attempted to commit murder and calmly retreated to swaying with the wind. The sun peaked through the clouds once more and bestowed its light on Yami.

Yami's eyes did not stray from Yuugi's invisible form. His skin crawled at the sunlight and after a few moments, he finally closed his eyes and began to bask in it once more. Tears still escaped his eyes but a smile played on his lips.

Yes Yami finally found Yuugi. His life's purpose.

* * *

**What did you guys think of it? Good? Bad? Could have better? It is supposed to be vague on what Yami is but you get some clues from the words I used. And if you guys haven't figured it out, something is also up with Yuugi. But i'll let your imagination decide...for now.**

**The word _Ангел _means angel in Russian.**

**I'm think of making this a prequel and write a chapter story. But I don't know. I'll leave that up to the readers.**

**Questions? Comments? Concerns?**

**The button is below.**


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